Hole-digging machine.



S. DUICH.

HOLE DIGGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2,1915.

1 81 ,865. Patented July 3, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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HOLE DIGGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.2, 1915.

Patented July 3, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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STEVEN DUIGH, 0F GOLFAX, IOWA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 EDWIN S. FORSY'IH, OF COLIEAX, IOWA.

HOLE-IDIGGING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 191W.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEVEN DUICH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Colfax, in the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Hole-Digging Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a post hole digger adapted for making holes for fence posts, telephone and telegraph posts, and the like.

A further object is to provide a machine adapted to be operated from any suitable source of power, whereby a hole may be bored or drilled in the earth, and havin adjustable means, whereby the loosene earth may be removed from the hole and deposited on the ground adjacent thereto.

A further object is to provide in such a device suitable mechanism whereby the dirt loosening or cutting means maybe operatively connected with the dirt removing means in such a way thata portion of the dirt removing means may travel downwardly in the hole as the dirt is loosened.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the mechanism of my improved hole digging machine, part of the frame being shown in section.

Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of the same, the frame being shown partly in section, the view being taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a vertical sectional view through the screw threaded shaft, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 shows a horizontal sectional view of the screw threaded portion of the upright shaft taken above the power transmission gear thereon.

n the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally the members of the frame of my improved device, which ma; e's pported 'on any suitable platform or the like as may be desired.

Suitably mounted on the frame is a transverse frame portion 11 mounted in which is a bearing 12 for a shaft 13. The shaft 13 is suitably mounted at its end opposite the bearing 12 in another bearing.

A transverse frame member 14: supports a bracket 15, which forms a bearing for the central portion of the shaft 13.

Vertically mounted in the machine is a large strong rod or shaft 16, the larger portion of which is screw threaded at 17. The screw threaded portion 17 of the shaft 16 is provided with vertical grooves 18. The portion 17 is mounted in a threaded bearing 11 in the member 11.

Slidably mounted on the screw threaded portion 17 of the shaft 16 above the frame member 11 is a beveled gear 19, having keys 20 adapted to travel in the grooves of the portion 17. It will be understood that the grooves 18 are on opposite sides of the portion 17 and the keys 20 are on opposite sides of the beveled gear 19.

It will be seen that when the beveled gear is rotated, the keys 20 will coact with the walls of the grooves 18 and rotate the shaft 16 to force it upwardly or downwardly, in the screw threaded bearing 11, whereas when the machine is not in operation the beveled gear 19 may be raised or lowered on the shaft 16 with the keys 2O sliding in the grooves 18.

Onthe shaft 13 is a pulley 21 or other means, for operatively connecting the shaft 13 with a suitable source of power such as a gasolene engine or the like.

On the shaft is a beveled gear 22 in mesh with the beveled gear 19.

Pivotally mounted at one end on one of the upright frame members 10 is a transverse frame member 23, adapted to stand above the gear 19 and engage the hub thereof. One end of the member 23 is secured to the opposite side of the frame by means of a removable pin 24:. The bolt 25 on the mem ber 23 is so arranged as to allow suflicient play on the member 23, allowing it to be swung upwardly and also laterally a suflicient distance to permit it to clear the bevy with the beveled eled gear 19, so that when it is not desired to rotate the beveled gear 19, the said gear may be raised to position out of mesh with the gear 22:

At the upper end of the shaft 16, said shaft is rotatably mounted in a transverse frame 26, which frame member 26 is slidably mounted on opposite frame members 10, as

illustrated in Fig. 2. On the upper end of the shaft 16, above the frame 26 is a beveled gear 27. Above the beveled gear 27 mounted in brackets 28 and 29 supported on the frame 26 is a shaft 30, on which is loosely mounted a gear 31 in mesh with the gear 27. Slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the shaft is a clutch member 32 adapted to coact with a clutch member 33 formed on the hub of the beveled gear 31 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 30. By proper manipulation of the clutch member 32, the shaft 30 may be-thrown into or out of gear gear 27 and the shaft 16.

Mounted near the lower end of the shaft 16 is a transverse frame member 35 arranged to permit rotation of the shaft 16. On the ends of the member 35 are downwardly extending guide members 36 adapted to travel downwardly along the side walls of a hole in the ground vand hold the shaft 16 centered with relation to the hole. A supporting frame member 100 connects the main frame and the member 35 for holding the member 35 against rotary or twisting mo tion.-

Mounted on the shaft 30 is a sprocket gear 37. A second sprocket gear 38 is mounted in a bracket 39 on the member 35. A chain 40 travels on the sprockets 37 and 38. Detachably mounted in any suitable way at intervals on the chain 40 are buckets 41. On one end of the shaft 30 is a crank handle 42.

On the lower end of the shaft 16 is de tachably mounted a bit 43 of any suitable size and shape for boring a hole in the ground. Detachably mounted on the shaft 16 above the bit 43 and spaced therefrom is a stirrer device 44 adapted to stir the loose dirt for causing it to move into the path of the buckets 41.

Mounted on the frame 10 is a rotary drum 44 on which is wound a flexible device 45 such as a rope which is extended upwardly over a guide pulley 46, and second pulley 47 at the top of the frame and is adapted to be used for raising telephone poles and the like. The drum 44 is mounted on a suitable shaft 49 journaled in brackets 48. On one end of the shaft 49 is a sprocket 50 which is alined with a sprocket 51 loosely mounted on the shaft 13. A chain 52 travels on the sprockets 50 and 51. The sprocket 51 has a hub 52 on which is formed a clutch member 53 adapted to coact with the clutch member 54 formed on the pulleyv 21. It will be seen that. by moving the: sprocket gear .51 away from the pulley 21, the drum 44 may be thrown out of operative relation with the shaft 13.

I shall now describe the practicaloperation of my improved post hole digging machine.

Assuming that a suitableengine or the like is employed for imparting rotation to the pulley 21, and that the machine has been set at the proper location for digging the hole, and that the shaft 16 is at the upper limit of its movement with the parts installed in position, then when the machine is started, the pulley 21 will impart rotation to the shaft 13 and the gear 22. Rotation will thus be imparted to the gear 19, the teeth 20 of which engage the walls of the grooves 18 thereby rotating the shaft 16. On account of the fact that the screw threaded portion 17 is mounted in the screw threaded bearing 11, the shaft 16 will be forced downwardly in the machine. The bit 43 will bore the hole in the ground. As the bit is forced downwardly into the ground, if the clutch members 32 and 33 are in engagement, the sprockets 38 and 37, will be rotated for causing the buckets to travel downwardly into the hole and then upwardly with a load. As the buckets pass over the upper sprocket 37, their contents are discharged upon a chute 55 supported by a frame 26. The member 44 tends to loosen the earth and assists in keeping it level so that the buckets 41 always take up a load. The guide devices 36 travel clownwardly atthe side of the hole and hold the shaft 16 centered therein.

It will be seen that the sprockets which carry the bucket chains travel downwardly into the hole with the drilling mechanism, so thatthe loose dirt will be taken out and discharged. It will be seen that the buckets. can be thrown out of gear when desired by manipulation of the clutch member 32 and also that the bucket operating mechanism can be operated without operating the vbit 43, by swinging the member 23 laterally and upwardly and raising the gear 19, on the shaft 16, then moving the member 23 to its usual position and letting the hub of the gear rest thereon. I

After the hole has been dug and the loose dirt removed therefrom, by raising the gear 19 on the shaft 16, the drilling and dirt elevating mechanism can be thrown out of gear may be made in the construction and ar rangement of the parts of my improved hole digging machine without departing from its essential features and purposes, and it is my intent to cover by this application any such changes which may be included within the scope of my claims.

claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a frame and drilling device, mounted thereon, dirt elevating means mounted on said frame traveling upwardly or downwardly with said drilling device, and means for operating said drilling device and dirt elevating means from the same source of power, said means including a clutch device, whereby the dirt elevating means may be connected to and disconnected from said operating means, and means for operating the dirt elevating means independently.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame, an upright shaft mounted thereon, a drilling bit on said shaft, a portion of said shaft being screw threaded and having a vertical groove therein, a gear on said shaft having, a tooth received in said groove, means for holding said gear against vertical movement, said means being detachable for permitting said gear to be moved longitudinally on said shaft, a screw threaded bearing for the screw threaded portion of said shaft and means for imparting rotation to the gear when in one of its positions.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame, an upright shaft'mounted thereon, a drilling bit on said shaft, a portion of said shaft being screw threaded and having a vertical groove, a screw threaded bearing for said screw threaded shaft portion, a gear on said shaft having a tooth received in said groove, means for holding said gear against vertical movement, means for imparting rotation to said gear, a frame slidably mounted on said first frame, said shaft being rotatably mounted in the second frame, a frame member mounted on said shaft near the lower end tl ereof, permitting rotation of the shaft, sprockets mounted on said second described frame and said frame member, a chain on said sprockets, buckets mounted on said chains, a gearing device interposed between said shafts and one of said sprockets, said gearing device including a clutch device whereby the shaft and chain may be operated independently of each other.

Des Moines, Iowa, August 13th, 1915.

STEVEN DUICH. Witnesses:

J. H. ANDERSON, R. E. BARTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

